Common Causes of Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries not only affect your business's productivity but also affect your worker's compensation insurance. Prevention of workplace injuries benefits both you and your employees. Many workplace injuries are preventable with simple precautions. Knowing how workplace injuries happen goes a long way to preventing them. Here is a list of some of the more common causes of workplace injuries in no particular order. Your workplace may differ depending on the nature of your business.

Lifting

Lifting and overexertion injuries can happen to just about any worker. Even those that know how to lift properly can become injured. Sometimes, the problem is people simply overestimate their abilities. Fatigue can also contribute to lifting injuries. Training and proper support equipment go a long way to preventing these injuries.

Repetitive Motions

Repeated motions cause wear and tear on the joints, ligaments, and muscles. This problem is very common in industrial and some retail settings. Certain clerical and front desk workers also get repetitive injuries. Reaching over desks and repetitive mouse movements contribute to injury.

Slips and Trips

Slips and trips can cause serious injuries in some cases. They are also highly preventable. Poor lighting and carelessness are common causes of trips and slips. If a person doesn't see or expect a hazard, they may have difficulty avoiding it. You don't have to fall to receive an injury from a trip or slip. The unusual movement of your body is enough to strain muscles and twist joints.

Falls

Same level and lower level falls are other sources of workplace injuries. Same level falls often involve uneven surfaces like unexpected dips or holes. Falls from upper levels frequently involve ladders, stairs, and equipment failures. Both can cause injuries that can knock your employee out of commission for a while.

Fatigue

Fatigue accounts for many workplace mistakes and accidents. When a worker is fatigued, they are more likely to be careless or forgetful. Lack of sleep isn't the only cause of fatigue. Many people become fatigued if they don't get enough rest breaks or don't switch tasks often.

Equipment Accidents

Equipment accidents come in many forms. For example, a person can be injured when someone operating moving equipment hits them. Employees can cause their own injuries when they abuse the equipment or if they bump or fall against it.

You can prevent accidents and injuries with preventative measures and proper training. Sometimes, it's hard to identify all the potential hazards of your workplace. A workplace injury prevention service can help you identify potential workplace hazards, some of which you may not realize you have. They can also set up a program to reduce injuries that rob your employees of productivity.


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